Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity hosted a Thanksgiving dinner Thursday for one Palmer Home family.
The guests arrived around 6 p.m. and feasted on turkey, stuffing, green beans and the sort. After dinner, the youth to enjoy games and music at the Amphitheatre offered through Campus Activities Board.
With the holiday season comes of charity from organizations and individuals alike. Members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon were thrilled to have the young guests for a visit.
“It’s something really good to do, especially after the storm the had over there [Columbus],” community relations chairman, Wesley Black, said “It makes you feel good to do something for other people.”
Clayton Davis, president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, explained that the fraternity doesn’t only have activities with the Palmer Home families during the holidays. They coordinate an activity at least twice a semester, including taking children to a Mississippi State baseball game.
The Thanksgiving dinner came as a surprise for the Palmer Home family.
“I didn’t know until I came home from choir that we were coming,” 7-year-old Amanda Kirkley said. “She [her house mom] didn’t tell me what we were going to do there. I thought we were going to a football game, but this was even better!”
Amanda said she loves coming to Mississippi State University football games and loves Bully.
After dinner, some of the fraternity members played games with the children, who ranged in age from 2 to 11. Will Crawford, a sophomore majoring in accounting, spent his time playing tag with almost 3-year- old Austin Butler.
“I really enjoyed them being here,” Crawford said. “The best part of this is enjoying spending time with the kids.”
“Palmer Home is a personal favorite of mine and the fraternity. It’s been such a blessing to us,” Barbara Prine, Sigma Alpha Epsilon house-mom, said.
House-parents Mike and Marjory Hyde have been in Mississippi for over three years now, serving with Palmer Home. Currently they care for nine Palmer Home children as well as two of their own, ages ranging from 2 to 17.
“They [the children] love coming to Mississippi State. Ya’ll’s campus does a lot for us, and our kids love coming,” said Marjory.
The Hydes explained that within Palmer Home there are different cottages in which the children live. Each cottage hosts different numbers of children in varying in age. The Hydes currently have eleven children total in their household.
“I love being a house-parent-everything about it,” Marjory said. “It takes a lot of time and love.”
Palmer Home is a Christian organization founded in 1985. As the Web site says, “The mission of Palmer Home for Children is to present the hope of Christ to children who, through lack of an adequate family structure, are in need of a permanent, long-term Christ-centered home. To that end, Palmer Home, as it has since 1895, remains committed to privately-funded, non-governmental child care which keeps siblings together, models evangelical Christian values, mends emotional scars and restores for each child the full opportunity to reach his or her God-given potential.”
Palmer Home takes in children from many different family background and enabling siblings to stay together, rather be than separated-as when they are taken by the state. Most Palmer Home children are given voluntarily by their families so that their children can fulfill their potential in life. Many children visit with their families or may even be reunited with their families in the future, while many remain in the program until they are on their own.
The Palmer Home in Columbus, houses around 80 children at any given time.
This organization gets its support almost completely as gifts from churches, individuals, foundations and corporations.
Individuals can request further information about Palmer Home by visiting its Web site at http://www.palmerhome.org. One can take part in the life of a child by becoming that child’s prayer, personal or financial sponsor.